Police Academy Training & Requirements

The job of a police officer is an honorable, yet demanding profession. One must always remember it is more than just a typical day job - it is a responsibility to serve and protect the general public from foreign & domestic threats. The rigors of the job can be both physically and emotionally challenging so new recruits are carefully screened to determine if they can cope with the police academy training lifestyle. The expectations of a new recruit will be one of strict discipline and order, similar to that of a military boot camp, and he or she will be pushed to the limits of their capabilities of which they will be expected to give one hundred and ten percent effort. Police academy instructors will make harsh demands of new recruits. Though strenuous, they are a step closer to achieving the ultimate goal of becoming a respected member of the law enforcement community.

What can a new recruit expect to learn from the academy?

• Introduction to law enforcement, including police ethics and morality
• Policing tactics in accordance to the law
• How to engage suspects, use equipment and firearms, and protect citizens
• Human relations and interpersonal skills, including understanding human behavior and stress management
• Criminal Investigation and Crime Scene Processing
• Patrol Procedures, including community policing and crime prevention

Recommendations to prepare for the Police Academy Training:

• Avoid having any type of criminal record
• Further your education with studies in criminology, criminal justice or psychology
• Begin a strict exercise regimen and keep to it
• Keep a clean employment history since employment history may also be taken into account.
• Learn a foreign language as well as basic first aid and strive to obtain a CPR certification
• Participate in community events and give back to the community through service projects

Why Integrity is a Must-have for Cops

• New recruits must be citizens in good standing without any prior criminal record.
• New recruits must display integrity. Integrity can't be understated because as an officer of the law they are responsible for enforcing the laws of the land and must learn to overcome temptations to waver from the respect that is entrusted to them.
• An officer of the law must be a leader, serving his community and living his life as an example.

Physical Demands Preparation:

• Be in good health, while abstaining from any drug use, smoking, or drinking
• Attain top physical condition and be able to perform their best in extreme circumstances (as it may be of paramount importance in the field)
• Be conditioned and able to run two to three miles with an average of at least eight minutes per mile
• Sprint at least a hundred yards multiple times with little to no rest
• Be able to bench press your own weight or more
• Be able to do at least twenty push-ups and thirty sit-ups in under a minute

Mental Preparation Advice:

• New recruits must be able to push themselves beyond exhaustion.
• New recruits must be able to take orders and criticism from their commanding officers whose responsibilitie is is to prepare trainees for the harshest conditions

A policeman's job is one of honor and integrity. Recruits must display these traits and enter the job with passion and fortitude. If they aim high to complete the police academy training & requirements they will excel in their profession.

*This article was written by J.P. Farris, an expert in the US Military category at www.yoexpert.com

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